Gift for Life honors Doug Cofiell with 2025 Industry Achievement Award
Ivystone CEO Doug Cofiell was honored with Gift for Life’s 2025 Industry Achievement Award during the 74th annual Retailer Excellence Awards in Dallas, Texas. To date, some $38,355 has been donated to World Central Kitchen’s crisis-related hunger relief efforts in Cofiell’s honor with fundraising continuing through the summer gift and home markets.
In his acceptance, Cofiell said, “It’s weird to get an individual award when it’s not about the individual, it’s about the people around you. Resilience is the word you think of when you think of the independent gift industry.”
In honor of Cofiell, gift and home industry colleagues already have donated over $38,000 to World Central Kitchen — fundraising which will serve hot, healthy meals to in-need communities around the world. The 130-plus donors include a wide range of manufacturers, sales agencies retailers, media, market centers and industry suppliers. Donations will be accepted through the summer gift and home markets in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York City. To donate, visit giftforlife.org/donate.
“This year feels especially meaningful to me personally,” said Gift for Life Chair Emalee Hoffman. “After spending the past few years working within one of the companies Doug leads, I can say with absolute certainty: he embodies the kind of leadership this award was created to honor.”
Gift for Life’s Industry Achievement Award, which has been presented at Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ Retailer Excellence Awards (REA) since 2009, recognizes overall excellence and contribution to the gift and home industry – whether as a thought leader, standard-bearer or overall industry influencer. Past honorees include: Dorothy Belshaw of ANDMORE (2024); Todd and Jannetta Litzman of MarketTime (2023); Warren Shoulberg (2022); Patti Carpenter (2021); Adam Glassman of O, The Oprah Magazine (2020); Anna and Nathan Bond of Rifle Paper (2019); Mitch and Seth Nash of Blue Q (2018); The Beekman Boys (2017); Julie Chavez and Joe Cerbo of Chavez for Charity (2016); Tom Mirabile of Lifetime Brands (2015); Dave Thomas and Kevin Mundt of HomArt (2014); Gregg Corzine and David Klass of Archipelago (2013); Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan of UMBRA (2012); Michael Aram of Michael Aram (2011); Randi Eller of Eller Enterprises (2010); and Bobbie Gottlieb of Two’s Company (2009).
